Sulky.



No. 742,067. PATBNTED OUT. 20, 1903.

' F.'RUDOLPH.

SULKY.

APPLICATION FILED EAR. 7, 1903.

no MODEL.

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Patented. October 20,1903. f

PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK RUDOLPH, OF LINCOLN, ILLINOIS.

SULKY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 742,067, dated October20, 1903.

7 Application filed March 7,1903. Serial lie- 1461627. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK RUDOLPH, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Lincoln, in the county of Logan and State of Illinois, haveinvented a Sulky, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improvement in vehicles, and relates moreespecially to sulkies or road-carts of that class which are particularlyadapted for use in breaking colts and subduin g fractious horses.

The objects of the invention are to provide a road-cart for this purposeby which the driver is firmly supported in both a standing and sittingposition and is located Well back, so as to have a good view of thehorses legs to watch their movements, and by which the in detail andmore specifically set forth in theappended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification,Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved sulky, a part of the nearwheel being broken away to expose the seat-supporting means, 850. Fig. 2is a rear elevation. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the seat and itssupporting means.

Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts in the several viewsof the drawings.

A A designate the supporting-Wheels of the sulky, which are connected bythe arched axles b b and connecting cross-bar 0, said axles being bentforward a short distance from the spindles'and from said former pointarched upwardly and forwardly and bolted at their ends to the crossbarO. The shafts D D are coupled to the axles between the spindles andangular bend, from which axles they extend upward and forward, passingunder the cross-bar G, being bolted thereto. These parts compose theframe of the vehicle and provide a very strong and substantialstructure.

The swingletree E, as is usual, is pivoted on the cross-bar O on a boltor pin e.

F designates a semi-elliptic spring, from which the pivoted seat-supportis suspended,

the said spring being supported upon the cross-bar O and connected atits ends thereto by clips f, whereby the ends of the spring have asliding movement on said cross-bar.

G designates a V-shaped seat-supporting frame, which is pivoted at itsforward -or pointed end on a rod H, secured to and depending from thecross-bar C, the said frame being adjustable vertically upon the rod bymeans ofthe bolt h. The rear end of the seat-supporting frame issupported from the semi-elliptic spring by means of rods I I, which areconnected at their lower ends by a cross-bar or bolt t. The seat,'of anyshape desired, but in the present instance composed of a board J withvertical end pieces jj, rests upon the converging side pieces of the V-shaped supporting-frame and is held against lateral movement by battensjj' on the under side bearing against said side pieces.

The forward end of the seat engages a loop L, attached to theseat-supporting frame, and the rear end is held in place by means of aspring-catch M, engaging a cross-bar g.

Stirrups or rests for the drivers feet are provided for by means of abar N, which is bent to engage the seat-supporting frame, from which themembers of the bar diverge, and at their ends are secured plates n. Thisbar is attached to the seat-supporting frame by staples 0, which permitof a swinging movement of the diverging members thereof, so that thefoot-rests or stirrups may adjust themselves to the drivers length ofreach.

It will be noted that by the arrangement of the parts as shown anddescribed the drivers seat is located in the rear of the axle, whichpermits the driver to freely mount from the rear of the vehicle and alsopermits him to freely dismount, even though the vehicle may be in rapidmotion.

Though I have shown the seat in the shape,

of a saddle'for the accommodation of a single rider, it will beunderstood that an ordinary seat suitable for two may be substituted, inwhich latter event the seatsu pporting frame and stirrups or foot-restswould be adjusted to suit.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a snlky or road-cart, the combination with the arched axle andconnecting-bar, of a V-shaped seat-supporting frame, a bar suspendedfrom the cross-bar of the shafts and provided with a vertical series ofholes with any one of whicha pivot-pin passed through ears on theforward end of the seat-supporting frame is adapted to engage,spring-supported bars attached to the rear end of said seat-supportingframe, a seat and foot-rests attached to the frame.

2. In a sulky or road-cart, the combination with the arched axles andbar connecting the upper ends thereof, of a seat supporting frame, asuspended bar upon which the forward end of the seat-supporting frame ispivoted, a semi-elliptic spring mounted on the connecting-bar, barssuspended from said spring and attached to the seat-supporting frame, aseat mounted upon said frame and held thereon by a spring-catch engaginga cross-bar of the frame, and foot-rests suspended from theseat-supporting frame.

3. In a sulky or road-cart, the combination, of the axles bent as shownand arched upward, a bar connecting the upper ends of the axles, andshafts connected to the axles and bolted to the connectiug-barg togetherwith a seat-supporting frame, a bar suspended from the connecting bar ofthe axle and upon which the front end of the seat-supporting frame ispivoted, asemtelliptic spring mounted on the connecting-bar with itsends slidable thereon, bars suspended from said spring and attached tothe seat-supporting frame, a seat mounted on said frame, and foot-restsdepending from the-latter, substantially as herein shown and described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK RUDOLPH.

\Vitnesses:

A. D. OADWALLADER, Ms. E. JEWETT.

